Higher body fat percentage is associated with increased cortisol reactivity and impaired cognitive resilience in response to acute emotional stress

Abstract

Objective: Cortisol is elevated in individuals with both increased emotional stress and higher percentages of body fat. Cortisol is also known to affect cognitive performance, particularly spatial processing and working memory. We hypothesized that increased body fat might therefore be associated with decreased performance on a spatial processing task, in response to an acute real-world stressor. Design: We tested two separate samples of participants undergoing their first (tandem) skydive. In the first sample (N ¼ 78), participants were tested for salivary cortisol and state anxiety (Spielberger State Anxiety Scale) during the plane's 15-min ascent to altitude in immediate anticipation of the jump. In a second sample (N ¼ 20), participants were tested for salivary cortisol, as well as cardiac variables (heart rate, autonomic regulation through heart rate variability) and performance on a cognitive task of spatial processing, selective attention and working memory. Results: In response to the skydive, individuals with greater body fat percentages showed significantly increased reactivity for both cortisol (on both samples) and cognition, including decreased accuracy of our task of spatial processing, selective attention and working memory. These cognitive effects were restricted to the stress response and were not found under baseline conditions. There were no body fat interactions with cardiac changes in response to the stressor, suggesting that the cognitive effects were specifically hormone mediated rather than secondary to general activation of the autonomic nervous system. Conclusions: Our results indicate that, under real-world stress, increased body fat may be associated with endocrine stress vulnerability, with consequences for deleterious cognitive performance.

State anxiety and cortisol reactivity to skydiving in novice versus experienced skydivers

“…These findings align with previous observations that skydiving increases cortisol levels in both experienced [15], and novice [7,8,9] skydivers. However, our study is the first to directly compare cortisol reactivity to skydiving in novice versus experienced skydivers.…”

“…For example, skydiving leads to activation of both the SAM and HPA axis, as evidenced by post-jump increases in the SAM axis biomarker salivary  amylase and cortisol respectively in novice jumpers [7,8]. Similarly, other factors which are associated with activation of the SAM axis, such as increased heat rate [9,10] and symptoms of hyperarousal, (e.g. heart racing, sweating, shaking/trembling and shortness of breath) [11], have been observed in individuals undertaking their first skydive.…”

Effects of Emotional Stress on Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Functions in Skydiving

“…Combining Cort, A-A changes and GSR data with SA scores, a significant association between A-A levels, GSR values and SA, but not CA scores emerged. Research points to cortisol reactivity as the mechanism for observed cognitive stress vulnerability [51]. However, our data do not support this hypothesis.…”

“…Few studies have examined both hormonal and autonomic responses throughout the course of a parachute jumping event and the state anxiety associated with such a performance [19,51]. A similar lack of information exists as to somatic and cognitive anxiety.…”

Visuo-spatial path learning, stress, and cortisol secretion following military cadets’ first parachute jump: the effect of increasing task complexity

“…Habituation results, however, were ambivalent, since the CORT response patterns were scattered. Finally, MujicaParodi, Renelique and Taylor (2008) examined tandem skydivers for CORT, cardiac variables, and diverse cognitive performance outcomes. They found increased CORT reactivity and an overall cognitive decline that, notably, were positively correlated with a greater body fat percentage.…”